Gauging Interest in Scuba Reality Show

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Jason McAnear

Contributor
Messages
81
Reaction score
8
Location
Roatan, Honduras
# of dives
100 - 199
Hello Divers,

Wanted to get your opinions and Interest Level for a concept I am working on. Would you sit and watch on the Internet a 30 minute "Reality Show" based on the running of a dive shop in the Caribbean? Showing daily operations, Discovery Dives, OW and other certifications, handling groups of vacation divers and such. Also occasional "Surface Interval" segments showing off the island life of the staff.

Your Thoughts?
JMac

---------- Post added ----------

More info on what I am planning here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1109536950/dive-masters

JMac

---------- Post added ----------

Oooooooooookay...... don't everybody answer all at once now...... (but your silence is very telling)
 
It'd be interesting. I just don't watch TV; everything's through my computer.

It would be hard to market to non-divers. There might be a lot of scuba-specific language. You'd have to have all the customers sign consent forms (or blur out all their faces). A lot of the issues would be the same, and it may get boring.

Still, even with the potential problems and limitations, if I had a TV, I'd tune in for a few episodes.
 
I would, but remember, reality shows take a lot of script writing.:wink:
 
I would like to see a show where they go to all the booths at DEMA and showcase new equipment, quirky things people are trying to get divers to buy, and the various dive travel destinations. Oh, and do some in depth interviews of people/organizations (GUE, UTD, IANTD, PADI, NAUI TEC, etc) that are involved with pushing new standards and methods of diving, let them explain with demos what they are doing and why. Would be interesting to see cave divers, wreck penetration dives on historical wrecks, treasure divers. Kinda like a live dive magazine, combined with a This Old House flavor. I would tune into that every week. Can't stand reality shows. Invariably they will start bitching about living in paradise, dealing with tourists, sleeping (or not) with co-workers, tourists, fish, etc. I will hate them for living the life I dreamed about when I was younger, up to the moment I realize I have retirement savings, and won't have to eat cat food:D.
 
I would like to watch and maybe learn different ways of doing things. I am not an experienced diver so a video that points things out now and again would be cool. I think It would do best if you had a set of people that you followed. Some that deal with store stuff, gear, people that search for treasure like mentioned above, instructors. Thing that you can transition to that will keep viewers attention, but have certain people for certain sections so viewers can become familiar with them. I'm not any kind of entertainment expert, but I watch Deadliest Catch and shows like that, and I like seeing familiar faces.
 
The problem with "Reality" shows is that they have absolutely nothing to do with reality. A bunch of self-absorbed people in manufactured situations throwing an endless series of tantrums. Can't stand those things.

However...
It sounds more like you're proposing something like Pawnstars, or American Pickers, Axe men, or one of a thousand other shows that do something similar. I like some of them, don't like others. It'd depend on the people on the show, what situations they dealt with, and if there'd be enough different material between episodes. If I saw a SCUBA based show like that, I'd watch an episode or three.

As for "SCUBA" specific language, I agree that there would be a lot of it, but then not many people knew what a skyline or yarder is before Axe Men came out. Explain it well, and I think you could get an audience, especially if you had good footage of "exciting" things that most people don't get to see. Cave diving, deep wrecks, etc. Probably shouldn't have too much about how living in a tourist area sucks, though.

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2
 
Sorry, but no, I would definitely not watch this
Nor would not dive with a centre that had a camera crew present for this show.
Or one that had been involved with it.

I wouldn't want a camera crew distracting from my experience of recreational or training dive.

However I can see many ego/money/pr hungry divecentres and DMTs/DMs thinking this is would be the dog's bollocks.
Can't think of any reasons would I want to watch overly dramatised versions of what happens in a large scuba resort.
I cannot stand the construction, editing and production of these shows

Nic
 
a 30 minute "Reality Show" based on the running of a dive shop in the Caribbean? Showing daily operations, Discovery Dives, OW and other certifications, handling groups of vacation divers and such.

How on earth would you get 30min of interesting content out of this concept? Much less a SECOND episode.
 
Yeahhhhh. Not so much, maybe.

And more than that, if I showed up at my favorite dive shop and a bunch of clowns with video cameras were there filming and shoving releases in my face, I'd find someone else to dive with, with a few choice words to the dive shop manager on the side. Then I blast it out to everyone I know what was going on. Who knows, you might find some narcissist diver who wants to be made a fool of on the internet..... :wink:
 
I would like to see a show where they go to all the booths at DEMA and showcase new equipment, quirky things people are trying to get divers to buy, and the various dive travel destinations. Oh, and do some in depth interviews of people/organizations (GUE, UTD, IANTD, PADI, NAUI TEC, etc) that are involved with pushing new standards and methods of diving, let them explain with demos what they are doing and why. Would be interesting to see cave divers, wreck penetration dives on historical wrecks, treasure divers. Kinda like a live dive magazine, combined with a This Old House flavor. I would tune into that every week. Can't stand reality shows. Invariably they will start bitching about living in paradise, dealing with tourists, sleeping (or not) with co-workers, tourists, fish, etc. I will hate them for living the life I dreamed about when I was younger, up to the moment I realize I have retirement savings, and won't have to eat cat food:D.

The last few years, DEMA has had a strict no camera policy throughout much of the floor. Yes, we still take pics/video, but not really for commercial purposes like a TV show. Also, have you tried to get a booth to pay attention to you with a media badge? The only thing booth reps pay attention to at DEMA is a buyer badge. Otherwise, I agree with your idea :)
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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